Rubber powered motor for toys and the like



NOV. 25, 1952 HUARD ET AL 2,619,194

RUBBER POWERED MOTOR FOR TOYS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 11, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 In re n-'ors 6190,2655 C- ,eA Lib 8D RA yno/vp JEAN-ERA/Egf P0 Q Nov. 25, 1952 G. G. HUARD ET AL 2,619,194

RUBBER POWERED MOTOR FOR TOYS AND THE LIKE Filed'DeG. 11, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FieA.

r) Vani'd rs I 656%3 4:5241/1) fl/MZD P4 YMOND (/5441 ERNES 790 Patentecl Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATS TNT OFFICE RUBBER ROWERED MOTOR FOR TOYS AND THE LIKE Georges Geraud Huard, Paris, and Raymond Jean Ernest Roger, Suresnes, France 3 Claims.

This invention relates to rubber powered motors comprised of say one or a plurality of rubber wires or strips which are subjected to a twisting action when the motor is being wound up, their release providing the propulsive energy of or operating the toy or other device to which the motor is applied. The primary drawback of this type of motor is that no limiting device is provided whereby if the motor is wound up too far, as for instance by a child, the elastic or rubber element may break up.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawback. It is characterized by a rubber powered motor of the type described above, in which one of the toothed elements of the winding mechanism or a special toothed member meshing with one of said elements carries a toothless portion, stud or other suitable means adapted to resist any meshing when it engages the cooperating member, thus establishing a limit to the winding action and preventing efficiently any exaggerated winding up of the elastic element to its breaking-down point.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the winding limiting member is located on the toothed element, when the latter is at rest, in a position diametrally opposite to the cooperating toothed element, whereby the mechanism may be wound up in both directions, thus enabling a reversal of the direction of movement of the propelled object.

According to a further embodiment, a reducing gear is interposed between the motor and the winding limiting member so as to extend the duration of operation, a freewheel arrangement being also provided between the driving shaft and the driven shaft for holding the latter stationary when winding up.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

In the drawing, in which embodiments of our invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment.

Figs. 2 and 3 are top views of modifications thereof, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of further embodiments.

Referring now to Fig. l, the form selected for purpose of illustration includes an elastic element 3, which in the example illustrated drives a toyaircraft propeller 4, carries a pinion 5 meshing with the winding toothed disc 6 fast on another shaft 1 having a square-shaped end 8 for engaging a winding key thereon. The teeth 9 of the toothed disc 6 are interrupted at Ill to provide a smooth portion which, when the mechanism is at rest, will beadjacent to the pinion 5, for instance at H3.

Thus, when shaft 1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow by means of a winding key, disc 6 will rotate and drive, through its teeth 9, pinion 5 for a predetermined number of revolutions and said pinion 5, fast with shaft 3, will impart a twisting action to rubber element 1. When the toothless portion til engages'the teeth of pinion 5, the latter is prevented from meshing further on with disc 6 which is therefore stopped, thus preventing any further twisting of element 5. Therefore, the elastic element I is always subjected to the same predetermined number of turns when wound up, this number being calculated in view of eliminating any breaking of the element.

According to a modification shown in Fig. 2, instead of a toothless portion l0, disc 61is provided with a protruding tooth H which will also engage pinion 5 to limit the rotary movement of disc 6a.

In a further embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the disc 62) carries a finger l2 adapted to abut a stop member [3 positioned on a fixed part of the toy, instead of abutting pinion 5. This stop member may be adjustable, for example by forming it as a plug element adapted to be inserted into one of a series of holes, e. g. to position it as shown at l3.

Another type of embodiment is exemplified in Fig. 4 wherein the motor according to the invention is applied to a toy-vehicle having a set of driving wheels l4, l5 fast with an axle l6 carrying a driven pinion H. The rubber element l8, which consists of a twisted strip, is fastened at one end to a fixed portion IQ of the toy and hooked at its other end to a hook 20 integral with the shaft 2| journalled in a suitable bearing (not shown). Fast with this shaft is a pinion 22 meshing with a cup-shaped, toothed-flange 23 secured in turn to the winding shaft 24. The driven shaft 2| further carries a cup-shaped, toothedflange 25 meshing with pinion ll of axle IS.

A pinion 26, fast on shaft 24, meshes with a toothed disc 21 integral with a spindle 28. This toothed disc is provided with a stud 29 adapted to engage pinion 26 for locking the winding mechanism in the same manner as in the previous examples. In this case, the mechanism 23, 22, 2|, 25, ll forms a reducing gear. When at rest, stud 29 is stopped in a position diametrally opposite to pinion 2B, the arrangement thus permitting the motor to be wound up in both directions, the toy being also adapted to run in both directions.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be seen that a modification is provided wherein the motor is similarly intended for driving a set of wheels 30, 3| mounted on a power axle 32 on which a pinion 33 is fastened in meshing engagement with a cup-shaped, toothed-flanged member 34 journalled for free rotation on the shaft 35 carrying the hook 35 whereto the rubber element 31 is hooked, the other end of the rubber element being secured to the usual fixed portion 38. The winding shaft 39 drives the shaft 35 through another cup-shaped, toothed-flanged element 40 and a pinion 4| while a further pinion 42, fast with the winding shaft 39, engages a toothed disc 43 integral with the shaft 44 and having a twistlimiting stud 45 thereon. In this embodiment, shaft 35 is connected with toothed-flanged cup 34 through the intermediary of a freewheel device. In the case shown, shaft 35 drives a starshaped member 46 having four resilient arms adapted to engage, in the rotational direction, the edges of lugs 47, 48, 49, 50 punched and bent out from the bottom wall of cup 34. In the reverse rotational direction, the resilient arms of the star member 46 will pass over the lugs without driving the cup, thus permitting to hold the wheels 3| in a fixed position when the device is being wound up.

As will be apparent from Figs. 4, 5, studs 29 and 45 may be replaced by a toothless portion It as shown in Fig. 1 for engagement with a special adjustable abutment l3 according to Fig. 3.

Thus, in all circumstances, the rubber-powered motor according to the invention ensures a positive limitation of the number of twisting turns applied thereto; with the reducing gear provided in the winding device of Figs. 4 and a great number of revolutions may be reached while increasing the duration of operation and the interest in the toy. By positioning the windinglimiting tooth 29 in a manner whereby it will have a position at rest diametrally opposite to the meshing point of pinion 26, the motor may thus be wound up in both rotational directions and the toy may also operate in both directions of movement. Finally, the freewheel arrangement provided in Fig. 5 will hold the set of wheels independent from and during the winding operation.

Obviously the rubber motor according to the invention may be used for driving not only a set of wheels or a propeller, but also any other propelling member of a toy or other article.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A rubber powered motor for toys and the like comprising a fixed element, a rotatable driving shaft, an elastic member stretched between said fixed element and said driving shaft, and winding mechanism operatively connected to said driving shaft for twisting said elastic member including a rotatable pinion and a relatively large meshing rotatable gear wheel, a nonmeshing portion on the periphery of said gear wheel engaging against the teeth on said pinion and stopping the winding mechanism after a predetermined number of revolutions of said pinion.

2. A rubber powered motor for toys and the like comprising a fixed member, a rotatable drivin shaft, an elongated elastic member stretched between said fixed member and an end of said driving shaft, a pinion fixed upon said driving shaft, and winding mechanism including a rotatable winding shaft extending parallel to said driving shaft and a relatively large gear wheel fixed on said winding shaft and meshing with said pinion, a toothless portion being formed on the periphery of said gear wheel engaging against the teeth of said pinion after a predetermined number of revolutions of said winding shaft to thereby limit the twisting of said elastic member.

3. A rubber powered motor for toys and the like comprising a fixed element, a rotatable driving shaft, an elastic member stretched between said fixed element and said driving shaft, and winding mechanism operatively connected to said driving shaft for twisting said elastic member including a rotatable pinion and a relatively large meshing rotatable gear wheel, a projection formed on the periphery of said gear wheel engaging against the teeth of said pinion and stop ping the winding mechanism after a predetermined number of revolutions of said pinion.

GEORGES GERAUD HUARD. RAYMOND JEAN ERNEST ROGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 268,273 Paillard Nov. 28, 1882 424,418 Hitt Mar. 25, 1890 687,897 Neagle Dec. 3. 1901 1,203,840 Bailey Nov. '7, 1916 1,315,606 Lonergan Sept. 9, 1919 1,803,929 Zaidan May 5, 1931 

